Singer Cuba Gooding Sr. was one of the four singers in the '60s R&B vocal group the Main Ingredient.
He was born April 27, 1944, in New York. In the early '60s, Gooding
formed the Poets with Don McPherson, Luther Simmons Jr. and Tony Silvester. They signed with Red Bird Records, owned by the famed songwriting team Leiber and Stoller. At Red Bird they had the hit "Merry Christmas Baby."
In 1967, the four became the Insiders on RCA Records. In 1970, as the Main Ingredient, they had two top-40 hits on the R&B chart while Gooding was on hiatus from the band attending college. In 1971, after McPherson died of leukemia, Gooding rejoined as lead singer and the Main Ingredient had their first pop smash with the #3 "Everybody Plays the Fool" (RealAudio excerpt) in 1972.
Succeeding hits included "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (RealAudio excerpt), "Happiness Is Just Around the Bend" and "Rolling Down a Mountainside." The group split in 1976.
Gooding had limited success as a solo singer. The group re-formed in 1980 and had a minor R&B hit with "Think Positive." In 1986, the Main Ingredient scored with "Do Me Right."
Today, the Cuba Gooding name is well-represented by the singer's son, Academy Award–winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr.
Other April 27 birthdays: Herbie Murrell (Stylistics), 51, and Mica Paris, 31.
|
